Perez's mother, Yilda, used to toss her son bottlecaps and corn kernels from across the room. Salvador used a broomstick and smacked them around their home in Valencia, Venezuela. He also remembers missing a few, but he never broke a lamp in the living room.

Yilda Perez raised her only child with the help of her mother, Carmen, since he was 4. She recognized his enthusiasm for the game and took him to a baseball school in the industrial hub of Valencia. There, he played with Jose Altuve.

When he was 8, Perez was the catcher for his team that went to tournaments. When he was 12 or 13, his mother heard coaches talk about her son's pro potential. He was just 16 when the Royals signed him.

Salvador has been friends with Pablo Sandoval since he was 13 years old.

In 2006, Perez signed with the Royals (see Transactions below).

In 2009, Baseball America rated Salvador as the 19th-best prospect in the Royals organization. They had him at #20 in the spring of 2010. And moved him up a bit to #17 in the winter before 2011 spring training.

MLB debut (Aug 10, 2011): In his first game, Salvador caught five popups. Unusual, to say the least.

Since STATS, Inc. began recording such statistics in 1974, Perez is only the fourth catcher to snag five or more popups in a game. The others were the Cubs' Keith Moreland, who caught six on June 13, 1982; the White Sox's Jim Essian with five on July 7, 1976; and the Mariners' John Marzano with five on June 11, 1997.

For good measure, Perez also picked off two Rays baserunners in the game.

Greeting Perez, one is immediately struck by his luminous smile—and his right hand. It makes you wonder what happened to your own when he shakes it. Your hand disappears inside his catcher's mitt of flesh and bone.

Very quickly, his eyes large and alive and his in-progress English endearing, Perez calls to mind a Venezuelan star from another era: Andres "The Big Cat" Galarraga.

Salvador always smiles and is always "up." He has a lot of energy, and you may see him get mad on rare occasion. But you won't see him down.

In Venezuela, Salvador played Little League ball with Bruce Rondon.

May 25, 2013: Perez flew to his home in Valencia, Venezuela after learning of the death of his maternal grandmother. He was placed on the three-to-seven-day bereavement list.

Salvador has a new sideline—clubhouse reporter for FOX Sports Kansas City. With the TV camera rolling, Perez took the microphone and did a pregame "interview" with pitcher Bruce Chen, who was celebrating his birthday on June 19, 2013.

"Chen, how you feel to get old?" Perez said.

"I don't know," Chen replied. "Every day that I go by is different. Some days it feels a little bit better, sometimes it feels a little more painful. But right now, it feels great to come here and be 36 years old."

"Now wait a second—36 or 42?" Perez asked, thrusting the mike at Chen.

"[Chen laughing] 36. This is my contract year, so it's 36," he said. "Once I sign my contract, I'll go for 42."

And so it went, with Perez's rich voice booming as he alternated between questions and laughter and both players obviously enjoying the moment.

On July 16, 2013, Salvador was the catcher for Mariano Rivera in Mariano's final All-Star Game before retirement.

In October 2013, Perez traveled to Spain as part of the RFEBS Clinic organized for pitchers and catchers.

March 19, 2014: Perez struck Reds closer Aroldis Chapman in the face with a line drive. Reds manager Bryan Price said Chapman was conscious and talking as he was taken off the field during their game against the Royals.

"Not good," Price said. "He left the field on a stretcher, took a line drive just above his left eye is what it looks like—a contusion, a laceration, and certainly needs to be taken to the hospital and checked. We've got Tomas Vera, an assistant trainer, is going to be with him. And then we'll get our updates from there."

The ball caromed into the third base dugout. Medical personnel, including Royals Dr. Vincent Key, rushed the field. Players from both teams huddled around the mound as the 26-year-old Cuban was being attended to and the stadium became silent. An ambulance's siren could be heard in background while Chapman was loaded onto the stretcher.

"I know this isn't as uncommon as we would like it to be, but it was frightening, certainly frightening," Price said.

The game was then called with City leading 6-3.

By age 23, Sal had already been an All-Star and won a Gold Glove Award.  No wonder his manager, Ned Yost, rates him among the best catchers in the game.

"He's the total player," Yost said. "He's offensive, he's defensive, he's got leadership skills. I think he's going to be the best. I don't think there's going to be anybody better than he.

"There's only really one that's better for me right now and that's Yadier Molina. There are guys that are good. Posey's like Sal, he's really good and he's won an MVP. He's in the other league and I don't see him enough, but I've always been impressed with Yady. When Sal came up, I saw so many similarities with Yadier Molina's game when he first came up."

A reporter mentioned that Molina, a five-time All-Star and six-time Gold Glove Award winner with the Cardinals, sometimes seems to be on another planet. "Sal can be on that planet, too," Yost said.  (Kaegel - mlb.com - 4/2/14)

When Salvador is asked which catchers he looked up to as a kid, he doesn't hesitate before answering, and he only needs to name one. 

"Molina, Yadier Molina," Perez says. "I watched a lot of video. I wanted to be like him because he's the best in the league. I just try to be like him."

"If you ever watch him play, just how he affects the game every day, it's unbelievable," teammate Alex Gordon said. "I hope a lot of guys try to steal on him, and we'll get to see how good he is back there."

Perhaps the best indication of what Perez means to the Royals is this: When asked which dimension of Perez's game jumps out the most, closer Greg Holland replied, "All of them. He's only what, 24? To be able to call a game like a veteran, it's unbelievable," Holland said. "I take it for granted sometimes. The way he catches, the way he defends with guys on base, throwing guys out, picking guys off, it's unbelievable."

And Perez's personality might mean even more than his physical skills to his teammates.

"He has a real passion to win the game. He loves the game," Holland said. "You see him out there fist pumping and screaming and yelling, it kind of brings that little kid out in you. I think that's what drives him. Just the love of the game drives him to be better each and every day. He doesn't take a pitch off. For me, coming in the ninth inning in close games, I can't really afford for my catcher to take a pitch off. It's a lot of fun, but I think just that passion is the biggest attribute, aside from the natural ability he has."

Despite his youth, Perez said he's tried to take on a greater leadership role for a Royals team that hopes to make a playoff surge in the second half.  "I try to be a leader," Perez said. "I'm the catcher, and I have to be a leader for the pitcher, talking. I want to be the leader on this team one day." (Swieca - mlb.com - 7/14/14)

Perez wears women’s perfume for every game. One day, shortstop Alcides Escobar—who said he wore it for good luck—sprayed some on Perez’s jersey and told him he would get four hits. The prophecy came true, Perez said, so he ordered a dozen boxes. His preferred brands are Victoria’s Secret and 212 VIP.

Umpires, he said, are grateful.

“You smell good, my friend, thank you,” they tell him, according to Perez. “We sweat, stink, you know. We need to put on something—just on the field. A lot different off the field.”

Salvador continues to burnish his reputation as the best defensive catcher in baseball not named Yadier Molina. Perez has soft hands, a strong, accurate arm and an agility that belies his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame.

Perez also plays the game with a rare exuberance, bouncing up after foul tips and responding to the success of his pitchers with body language that reflects his emotional investment in their performance.

“He’s like a little kid in a gorilla body,” teammate Alex Gordon said. “He’s huge, but he’s the nicest guy. He’s always joking around and having fun. With as much negative attention as we get for failing in this game, it’s nice to have that kind of personality out there when you’re doing well or not doing well.”

2014: Perez is known for rarely taking a day off. During the previous two off-seasons, he played in a total of 63 Venezuelan Winter League games for Tiburones de la Guaira.

"There were times last year and the year before when we'd play a 162-game season, and he'd want to go straight to Venezuela and play baseball there," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Perez during the World Series. "It was like, 'You need to take a break.'"

But that's not Perez. Despite establishing himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the Majors, the 24-year-old doesn't want to take his foot off the pedal.

"I just like playing baseball," he said. "It's what I love. Every time I put on the uniform, I'm going to go out and give 100 percent."

"I got a short story about when I started catching," Perez said. "I was always playing third base and shortstop and this scout from KC, who signed me, told me to throw from home plate to second base. I still don't know why he told me that, but after I did that, he says hit, and he came back and said I want to sign you.

"So they put me at catcher, and I was happy to have a job. After that, it was just working, working, working—every day. That's what I do. Working hard every day, trying to work hard and listen to my coach. That's why I'm a little bit good behind home plate.

Plenty of camaraderie exists between players who hail from the same country, but in the case of Jose Altuve and Salvador Perez, their Venezuelan mutual admiration society began long before they were Major Leaguers.

The two played together as youngsters, when they were around 11 or 12 years old. Their travel team took them to other countries, where they represented Venezuela with as much pride as they do as adults and professional athletes today. Perez said Altuve was superior even way back when.

"He played," Perez said. "Leadoff, he threw hard, he stole bases, made some plays. Always. Whatever [he's] doing here [in the big leagues] —nothing is a surprise to me. I know where he comes from, and I know what he's about."

Altuve remembers his youth baseball days a little differently.

"I was on the bench," he deadpanned. "I played second when we were winning by 10 or losing by 10."

And his memories of Perez?

"All I remember is he played first base because our manager said he couldn't catch," Altuve said. Looks like things have changed.

Asked if Altuve ever got picked on for his small stature, Perez shook his head with an emphatic no.

"He was better than everybody on the team," he said. "Nobody could say anything. "I'm 6-4, and he's like 5-1. And he's way better than me." (Alyson Footer / MLB.com)

2016 Spring Training: The 2015 season would have been difficult for Salvador to forget no matter what, but thanks to a new tattoo, he never will. 

He now has the Royals' World Series Championship logo inked on his body to match the Series MVP tattoo he got after the Royals beat the Mets. (Joe Rodgers - Sporting News - March 2016) 

Salvy had an immediate use for his reworked contract that was signed on March 1, 2016. Perez, who signed a $52 million extension, confirmed that he is donating $1 million to Kansas City's Urban Youth Academy. And a baseball field will be named after Perez.  

A million-dollar donation is quite a gift. But Perez said it will be well worth it.

"But when it's something you really want to do," Perez said, "and see how many happy faces you're going to make, you don't see the million dollars. You see something different."  (Flanagan - MLB.com - 3/2/16)

July 3, 2016: The Phillie Phanatic is a landmark of the game of baseball, doing all sorts of silly, zany things on the field. Just this season, he's beaten Jose Bautista in a fitness battle, arrested Jose Fernandez after the Marlins' ace stole his keys, and brought a visiting team's broadcast crew some ice cream.

Salvador is also a treasure, whether bear-hugging umpires or making quick-reaction catches on foul ball ricochets look easy.

The matchup between the Royals and Phillies, therefore, facilitated some silly shenanigans at Citizens Bank Park, one that involved the two of them exchanging flexes. And, later, Perez trying to douse the Phanatic with a water bottle and the Phanatic retaliating with a bucket of glitter. Good thing for Salvy he was given the afternoon off, since that glitter bomb would have been a hassle to clean off his jersey in time for the game. (A Garro - MLB.com - July 3, 2016)

Katie Strang, a writer for ESPN.com, talked with Salvador about catching in extremely hot weather, with on-field temperatures over 100 degrees—even 110+ degree heat! And Kansas City has some of the most swampy, oppressive heat in the U.S.

"The first time I caught a really hot game I was thinking, 'Am I gonna die today?' Seriously, after six innings, you start to feel like...." Perez said, doing his best slack-jawed, bone-tired expression.

"I think it’s one of those things that people don't realize. After we play, even after each inning, we feel it [even] more in the dugout," Perez said. "We get a cold towel, put it on our legs, we put cold water [on our neck]. I change the jersey, like, four times during the game—inside, in the cage, because you have the AC on—so you feel a little better."

A sweat-laden jersey weighs down Perez’s 6-3, 240-pound frame. And that’s on top of the gear he’s already sporting, including a chest protector, shin guards and a mask—all of which feel even heavier on a hot day.

"It weighs more. It’s a little heavy. That’s why we're always changing the jersey," Perez said. "I sweat a lot. All the gear I have, the masks. Sometimes I have to change my mask [during the game], because it stinks a lot."

During a particularly toasty game, he’ll drink up to 10 bottles of water. He’ll mix in Gatorade that’s available between half-innings as well. Sometimes, even that's not enough, so Perez seeks hydration in the form of intravenous fluids before the game to prevent dehydration, though that has been slightly more difficult to accomplish this season compared to previous seasons.

"Last year it was little bit easier to get IVs. It's a new rule, I think," Perez said. "So the medical staff just has to get permission that you really need it, and then guys come down and give it to you. Now, it’s a little harder to get IV."

A source confirmed to ESPN.com that though there has been no official rule change, the league’s medical supervisor did recently clarify, in the form of written guidance to all teams, the situations in which IV hydration is considered the best practice.

Besides the standard sweat and stink, the heat can have other, more serious physical manifestations, such as nausea and muscle cramping. The most taxing part of all, Perez said, is the mental toll it takes on players who are already subject to the rigors of a 162-game schedule.

"I think that’s the hardest part," Perez said. (Katie Strang - ESPN.com - 8/26/2016)

Sept 12, 2016: Salvador was scratched from the starting lineup vs. the A's because he was with his girlfriend Gaby Ruiz, who gave birth to their son, Johan Salvador. It is Perez's second son. The oldest is named Salvador, Jr.

Lots of people are nervous holding newborn babies. Given that Salvador is a catcher who has to handle all sorts of breaking balls, that doesn't seem to be a problem for him. Especially when the newborn he's holding is his adorable, bundled-up, new son, Johan.  (Clair - MLB.com - 9/12/16)

The bat that Salvador used to hit his go-ahead grand slam in the Royals' 6-4 victory over the Red Sox wasn't even his.  The story starts when the Tigers were in town at the end of May. Royals backup catcher Drew Butera picked up Miguel Cabrera's bat after Cabrera hit a long foul ball and handed it back to him at the plate. But as Butera was handing the bat back, he kidded with Cabrera that he really liked the feel and the weight (32 ounces) of it.

"I like to use heavier bats in batting practice," Butera said. "The next day, he sent me over two of his bats, which was pretty nice."

On June 21, 2017, Perez had just ended a 10-game hitting streak the previous day when he decided to try something different and asked Butera if he could use one of Cabrera's bats.  Out of the blue, Butera just happened to put one of the bats in Perez's locker before the game.

"It was just in my locker," Perez said, smiling. "I like it. I think I'm going to use it tomorrow, too."

The next thing you know, Perez went 3-for-3 with the first grand slam of his career, which wiped out a 4-2 Boston lead. Afterward, Butera called the bat a "magic stick."

Is Perez afraid he's going to break his new weapon?

"Oh, no, I don't want to break that one," Perez said. "I need to call Miggy and say, 'Hey, you got to send me some more bats, please.'"  (Flanagan - mlb.com - 6/21/17)

July 2018: Perez was selected to his 6th straight All-Star game.

Salvador and his wife, Maria Gabriela, have two sons, Salvador, Jr. and Johan; and a daughter, Paulina.

Jan. 24, 2020: Perez became a U.S. citizen.

Dec. 10, 2020: The Royals spent the entire 2019 season without Perez due to elbow surgery, but the club’s 30-year-old fan favorite and team leader made his presence felt and produced an undeniable impact in a pandemic-shortened season this summer.

 Perez won the American League Comeback Player of the Year as voted on by MLB.com’s 30 beat writers. The honor came one day after he earned All-MLB First Team accolades as the top catcher in the majors.

Spring Training 2021: “A lot has been said [about Salvy], but I don’t think even enough, about what this guy means to this clubhouse, means to this team,” manager Mike Matheny said.  “You sense his presence and you sense the lack of it, even in Spring Training on days he’s not in there.  There’s just an energy, a life, a passion for the game that he just carries with him in everything he does.  You mix that with a very unique talent, and you have something very special.

“When you have your best players who go out of their way to make other players better, you’re amplifying and multiplying what you have inside that room.  That’s who Salvador Perez is. That’s, to me, what makes him so special. Those are things that never really make it into the statistics.  But they are real, and he does it extremely well.”  (Rogers - mlb.com - 3/21/2021)

In the sea of blue that was Royals batting practice at Kauffman Stadium, a pop of red stood out near home plate. One player was wearing a No. 12 jersey with “Brady” on the back, but it wasn’t Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.  It was Salvador, making good on a bet he made with his former teammate, Seminole, Fla., native and current Rays outfielder Brett Phillips before Super Bowl LV in February 2021.

The bet was simple: If the Bucs won, Perez would wear a Tampa Bay jersey to batting practice when the Royals and Rays met for their April series at Kauffman Stadium. If the Chiefs won, Brett Phillips would have to wear a Kansas City jersey.

More than two and a half months after the Bucs beat the Chiefs, 31-9, there was Perez on the field—in a jersey that Phillips bought for him.  “I just went and bought a Tom Brady jersey because I know Patrick Mahomes is part-owner of the Royals,” Phillips said. “I hope he sees the photo of Salvy wearing a Tom Brady jersey. That's just pure comedy right there. But it's all fun and games.  I love Salvador Perez. I can't say enough about the man. Everything that's come his way is more than deserving.”

After the Rays got to Kauffman Stadium, Phillips ran out of the visitors' dugout to see Perez waiting in red and bent over laughing, going up to him for a hug with a football in hand. After the obligatory photo was taken, Phillips handed Perez the football. Perez does have a good arm, after all.  “A little Tom Brady-to-Brett Phillips action for a touchdown,” Phillips said. “Celebrated on their own home turf. Wow, glorious.”

“I can't say enough about Salvador Perez as a person, as a teammate,” Phillips said. “Man, he is just one of those guys that I'll be praising the rest of my life. He's an awesome teammate. I wish him nothing but the best.  He took the bet like a champ, and he's a man of his word out there and wearing the Tom Brady jersey.  So it was a sight to see and a sight for sore eyes, no doubt.”  (Rogers - mlb.com - 4/19/2021)

April 26, 2021:  Salvador played his 1,000th career game in the Majors.  All 1,000 games have been with the Royals. And he became the 13th player in franchise history to reach that milestone.

“The longevity in this game amazes me,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “What guys have to endure, and then take that to another level in my mind when it comes to that position. I still see him as a young player, only because I believe he’s got a lot ahead of him. I was able to congratulate him this morning, and I know it means a lot to every one of our guys.”  (Rogers - mlb.com)

July 2021: Perez was chosen the starting catcher for the AL in the MLB All-Star Game. Perez will be making his seventh All-Star appearance, and sixth start, as the AL catcher on July 13 at Coors Field.

July 13, 2021: Both Salvador Perez and Whit Merrifield have been to All-Star Games before, but the experience never gets old for the two Royals veterans. Perez was the starting catcher for the American League All-Stars, and Merrifield pinch-hit and took over second base in the sixth inning of the AL’s 5-2 win at Coors Field, the league's eighth straight victory in the event.

“That was unbelievable,” Perez said after he exited the game. “One of the best lineups I’ve been in in the All-Star Game. It’s good. I’m so happy to be here, and I thank God for the opportunity.”

Perez was part of history by catching Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who started for the American League and also hit leadoff after participating in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday night. Ohtani earned the win after he threw a scoreless first inning to Perez, who made sure to give the Japanese right-hander a big fist bump as they were walking off the mound.

“It’s better to catch him rather than face him,” Perez said with a laugh. “He’s one of the best players in the league right now. You guys see what he’s doing. Hits homers, he’s going to steal bases, the way he pitches—slider, curveball, split-finger. And everything for strikes. It’s like a dream for me to catch him. Hopefully we’ve got more opportunities in the All-Star Game to do that.”

Ohtani showed off his power arm and threw a clean first inning, seeing his fastball top out at 100.2 mph and regularly hitting 99 mph. Perez was ready for them all.  (A Rogers - MLB.com - July 14, 2021)

 2021 Season: Perez and Guerrero tied for the major-league lead with 48 home runs. Perez led the majors with 121 runs batted in, four more than the Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. Perez tied the Royals single-season home run record set by Jorge Soler in 2019, and Perez’s 48 homers were also a single-season record for a primary catcher (at least 75% of his games at catcher) in major-league history.

He surpassed the previous record of 45 set by Johnny Bench in 1970. By leading the Majors in both home runs and RBIs, Perez became just the second primary catcher to lead in both, the other having been Bench in 1970 and 1972. Perez batted .273 and his .859 OPS was a career high for a full-length season, as was his .544 slugging percentage (10th-best in MLB).

Perez also tied the record for the most games played in a season by a primary catcher. He played 161 games and caught 124 (MLB-best 120 starts). He also threw out 44% of attempted base stealers this season, the highest percentage of any catcher with at least 375 innings caught.  (Lynn Worthy - Oct 21, 2021)

March 29, 2022: Salvador has won this year’s Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, sponsored by the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity. Phi Delta Theta presents the award annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the giving character of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the Fraternity’s Columbia University chapter.

The award was first presented in 1955 and is permanently maintained at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

2022 Season: Perez struggled in the first half of the KC Royals’ season.

Perhaps Perez’s marvelous 2021 campaign, impossible to forget and too good to prevent some fans from anticipating more of the same, raised unreasonable expectations.

After all, Perez led the majors with 121 RBIs. The 48 home runs he clubbed broke Johnny Bench’s single-season record for primary catchers and deadlocked him with the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the big league lead. He also played in his eighth All-Star Game and won a fourth Silver Slugger to move past George Brett for the club’s all-time high.

But Perez’s 2022 started slowly. He went hitless in his first three games and batted only .206 in April.

May was worse. Perez managed only one homer, slashed .177/.198/.266, and a thumb injury forced him to the IL for 10 days. He ended the month with a .191 season average.

Perez was batting .254 for June with five home runs when he reinjured his thumb, headed back to the IL, and underwent surgery. He returned to the lineup July 29.

Then the fun began.

Salvy turned things around in the second half. Back in the lineup against the Yankees in New York, Perez wasted little time getting on track. He hammered a three-run homer off Yankee starter Gerrit Cole in his third at-bat and failed to get at least one hit in only four of his first 20 games back, a span during which he hit .272 with six homers and 19 RBIs. And he stayed hot, slashing .309/.342/.509 in August and .300/.336/.480 in September-October.

He finished with 23 homers and 76 RBIs, not bad numbers considering his poor first half and a thumb that cost him seven weeks on the IL.  (Mike Gillespie - Oct. 22, 2022)

TEAM CAPTAIN

March 30, 2023: The Royals named 11-year veteran Salvador Perez their team captain, just the fourth player in club history to hold the honor. Perez joins Mike Sweeney, Frank White and George Brett as the only captains in franchise history.

On March 31, 2003, Mike Sweeney took a seat at his locker in the Royals’ clubhouse, a few hours before the Opening Day ceremonies. The team gathered for a meeting, and George Brett walked through the door to give Sweeney a jersey with a “C” on its chest, naming Sweeney the Royals’ captain.

Twenty years later, Sweeney walked through the door of the clubhouse with a jersey in his hand. It was about two hours before the Royals’ 2-0 Opening Day loss to the Twins at Kauffman Stadium. The team was gathered for a meeting, most unsure of the topic. But many were left in awe after Sweeney, Brett and Frank White handed the newest Royals captain his “C.”

Salvador Perez was named the fourth captain in Royals history, joining Sweeney (2003-07), Brett (1989-93) and White (1989-90) as the only players to wear a “C” on their chest in the Royals’ 55-year history.  “The day George handed me that jersey was one of the most emotional, joyous days of my career,” Sweeney said. “Now, it’s exciting to collectively pass the torch to the next generation in front of his peers. To see Salvy, who’s become the face and heart of our team over the last 13 years, have tears in his eyes as he accepted it, just affirms the title.”

It’s been 15 years since the Royals have had a captain, and for some, naming Perez was long overdue. The 32-year-old catcher is a seven-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time Royals Les Milgram Player of the Year. He was unanimously named the MVP of the 2015 World Series, becoming the seventh catcher to earn the honor and first since Toronto’s Pat Borders in 1992.

Perez enters the 2023 season among the Royals' all-time leaders in home runs (223, second), RBIs (732, seventh), extra-base hits (470, seventh), total bases (2,202, eighth), doubles (236, ninth) and hits (1,275, eighth).

“It’s an honor to be the captain of the Kansas City Royals,” Perez said. “I know we lost, but it’s a special day. George Brett, Frank White, Mike Sweeney, the way they played the game, the way they taught us to play the game, have passion for the game, it’s something I want to follow.” (A Rogers - MLB.com - March 30, 2023)

2023 Season: In 88 of 140 games last season (62.9%) Perez posted a hit, and in 38 of those contests (27.1%) he posted two or more knocks. He homered in 15.0% of his games last season (140 contests), going deep in 4% of his trips to home plate.

Perez came around to score in 47 of 140 games a year ago (33.6%), with more than one run scored in 10 of those contests (7.1%).In 35.7% of his games a year ago (50 of 140), he drove in a run. In 19 of those games (13.6%) he recorded two or more RBI, while accounting for three or more of his team’s runs in eight contests.Perez went down on strikes one or more times in 68.6% of his games last season (96 of 140), with more than one punchout in 31 of those contests (22.1%).

April 13, 2024: Perez blasted his 250th career homer in the fourth inning, a 384-foot shot that was originally ruled a double before it was overturned to a home run upon review after the ball was deflected by center fielder Brandon Nimmo, sending it over the wall. Perez is now just the 12th primary catcher in AL/NL history to hit that many home runs. It was also his second straight game with a homer at Citi Field, the stadium where Perez won World Series MVP in 2015.  (B Ladson - MLB.com - April 13, 2024) 

The 2024 Royals turnaround begins with two players — Witt and Perez — the bookend stars in the process of a baton exchange from one generation to the next. Perez, 34, arrived in Kansas City as a baby-faced 21-year-old in 2011, a precocious catcher who came of age alongside the eventual 2015 World Series champions and became team captain. He is still, through sheer force of will and preparation, playing at an All-Star level into his mid-30s. So it was no small thing to those inside the organization when Perez, in the final days of last season, declared Bobby Witt as the best player he’d ever played with.

“Seriously,” Perez told MLB.com in September. “He is the best I have ever seen here.” (Dood/Meisel - Jun 13, 2024 - The Athletic)

July 2024: Perez was named as a reserve to the All-Star Game, becoming only the fifth backstop in MLB history to make the All-Star team nine or more times with one team.

2024 Season: By the time his 34th birthday rolled around, Pérez was on track for another All-Star berth and a career year at the plate. His .321/.384/.540 line kept Kansas City's offense chugging along, adding another bat to the machine that helped bring Witt across home plate. The veteran found ways to get on base, surprising fans with his newfound ability to draw walks. Pérez’s 44 walks in 2024 surpassed the total of his previous two seasons combined and marked a career high by a wide margin.

His improved plate discipline was key to his success that season, as pitchers were forced to pitch to him more carefully. His power numbers also saw a significant boost, with Pérez hitting 27 home runs and driving in 104 runs. While he has been an above-average batter throughout his MLB career, this represented a remarkable turnaround for the veteran catcher. ( Jacob Milham - Oct. 24, 2024)

2024: The last time the Royals returned from New York after a postseason win, they brought a championship trophy with them. That was nine years ago, after Salvador started the rally that won the World Series.

Now the Royals are back – in the postseason, in Kansas City, in another era but with the same spiritual leader propelling them home. Pérez did it again in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday, Oct 7th, smashing a tongue-wagging homer to erase an early New York Yankees lead, humbling Carlos Rodón and igniting a 4-2 Royals victory in the Bronx. It had to be Salvy.

“Sal’s incredible – he’s built for this,” starter Cole Ragans said, adding later, “This is what he lives for.”

And this is where he has always lived it: Kansas City, Pérez’s baseball home since 2006, when he was 16 years old and signed with the Royals from Venezuela for $65,000. The championship now sits in the middle of that 18-year span, and winning another fuels him. 

“We bought the team in ’19, and he, from the get-go, it’s been all about getting back to the postseason and doing something special for Kansas City,” said John Sherman, the Royals’ majority owner. “He’s really the heart and soul of the team, not only on the field, but in the community.”

Pérez is finishing the third year of a four-year, $82 million contract with a team option for 2026. He batted .271/.330/.456 this season, with 27 homers, 104 runs batted in and, remarkably, 158 games played. Pérez is 34, and nobody his age played in as many games in 2024.

“He’s the glue to this team,” said Kyle Isbel, a fourth-year Royals outfielder. “He’s the captain for a reason. He said it after we won today: ‘We win as a team, we lose as a team.’ Everything’s about the team with him. He’s a guy with that first-here, last-to-leave type of mentality. He’s a blast to be around.” 

Every team that has retired numbers for alumni (all but the Miami Marlins) has added to their list since then. The Royals make their legends earn it, and Pérez has met their standard already. 

“We know his number’s going to be retired,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We know there’s going to be a statue of him outside of wherever our stadium is. We know that.

“I think with him getting (back) to the playoffs now, and he’s still got some years left to start getting those counting numbers – I know in today’s world voters look at different things, but he’s been a World Series champion, MVP of the World Series, five Gold Gloves, nine All-Star Games, he’s going to end up with more than 300 career home runs. It starts adding up.” 

“You look at his durability, how many years he played in the big leagues, where do his numbers rank among all the catchers – they’re up there with all the catchers in the Hall of Fame now, and they’re only gonna get better,” Brett said, listing the All-Stars, Gold Gloves and postseason heroics. “You never know how close it’s going to be, but I think he’s going to be a Hall of Famer, first ballot. I really do.” 

Pérez, refreshingly, has an honest answer when asked about Cooperstown: of course he wants to make it, and thinks he should. “One hundred percent,” he said. “If you don’t think that way, you’re in the wrong sport. I think every player wants to be in the Hall of Fame. I think every player wants to play 14, 15, 17, 20 years doing the same thing. I, at least, have the opportunity right now. That’s what I tell myself right now. Give it everything you have; you never know.” 

Pérez made 90 starts at catcher, sharing time with Freddy Fermin, who excels on defense. Pérez was once a poor pitch framer, but has improved under coach Paul Hoover, setting up closer to the plate and starting on one knee.

“I’m a big guy to be behind home plate, so it’s kind of hard to get the low pitches,” said Pérez, who is 6-foot-3, 255 pounds. “So I think one knee down is kind of better a little bit. I’m still working at that.” 

“There was a young core that came up with Sal and that team had a lot of success, and there’s another young core coming up with Bobby,” Sherman said. “It’s almost as if Salvy’s spanning a couple of generations for us.”

The Royals have crossed that span and come out on the other side. The promised land looks just like it did last time, and that’s all their captain ever wanted.

“I know that it’s nine years,” Pérez said, back at Kauffman Stadium in October again. “But now that I’m in postseason, it feels like yesterday.” (Kepner - Oct 9, 2024 - The Athletic) (Editor's note: The Yankees defeated the Royals 3 games to 1 in the 2024 ALDS.)

Oct 2024: Perez is the Roberto Clemente Award winner, one of baseball’s most prestigious awards that annually recognizes a Major League player who best represents baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions. (A Rogers - MLB.com - Oct 28, 2024)

2024 All-MLB team honors: Salvy was honored with All-MLB Second Team. (A Rogers - MLB.com - Nov 14, 2024) 

Eleven years ago, Salvador Perez hit a line drive off Aroldis Chapman’s face. It sparked a lifelong bond. Now, more than 11 years later, the memory remains unsettling.

The Cactus League game between the Royals and Reds carried virtually no meaning. But anyone who saw the line drive off Salvador Perez’s bat strike Aroldis Chapman above the left eye will never forget the terrifying sight. 

“When I saw Chappy in the room,” Perez said, “I started crying.”

Perez apologized to Chapman, explaining that he never intended to hit the ball at him. But he recalled Chapman reassuring him, saying, “everything is going to be fine.” 

The next day, the pitcher underwent a 2 1/2-hour procedure in which a titanium plate was inserted in the bone above his left eyebrow. 

Chapman, who also suffered a mild concussion, recalls being in the hospital three days, and Perez visiting him each day. They knew of each other previously, but mostly as opponents.

“After that moment, we became closer,” Chapman said through his interpreter with the Boston Red Sox, Carlos Villoria-Benítez. “He basically became family.” Chapman and Perez live close to each other in Miami. They use the same strength and conditioning coach, Nestor Moreno. Perez would go to Chapman's house to work out. Chapman became an enduring example, inspiring Perez, a nine-time All-Star, to become one of the most durable catchers of his era. 

“I learned from Chapman,” Perez said. “When you’re 24-25 and you start working really hard, it’s not to get ready for that day. It’s so you can be available at this age, 35-36-37.

“When I got to the big leagues at 21-22, I could warm up in 10 seconds. I could put on my gear and go catch. But I learned from Chappy that everything starts in the offseason. How much work do you put in? How much do you sacrifice yourself? What kind of player do you want to be?” 

“I always tell (Perez), if we want to stay in this business and remain there for many years, we have to work hard,” Chapman said. “Maybe when we were 25 we’d do things to a lesser extent because we had youth and we had talent. But once you get to a certain age, you have to work twice as hard.” 

Perez jokes that he feels like he’s 25. He is careful with his diet, diligent with his routines. Before games, he said, “I never miss the weight room.” After games, he will soak in a cold tub, move to a hot tub, then finish in the cold tub before allowing his body to warm up again. “One of my goals is to play until I’m 40,” Perez said. “I want to be like Yadi Molina. He was the guy I followed when I was young. He played until he was 39.” 

With the Rangers, Chapman became a World Series champion for the second time. Yet he speaks almost wondrously of his time with the Royals and Perez, saying it was special, part of God’s plan.

Few could have imagined their story would turn out like this, that a hitter lining a ball off a pitcher’s face would result in the two players forming a lasting bond.

“It’s crazy how such a bad moment, such a terrible event, led to this relationship,” Brayan Peña said. “And it’s beautiful to see how much they work together, how much they love and appreciate each other.”

Not long ago, Chapman was in a car with someone, chatting with Perez via FaceTime. Rather than try to conduct two conversations at once, he told the person in the car to hold on, explaining that he was talking to his pana, or really good friend.

Perez took mock offense at that description.

“I’m not your pana,” he shot back. “I’m your brother.” (Rosenthal - Sep 5, 2025 - The Athletic)

Sept 13, 2025: Salvy joined the 300 HR and 1,000 RBI clubs.

TRANSACTIONS

2006: Perez signed with Royals' scout Juan Indiago, out of Venezuela.

February 27, 2012: Perez and the Royals agreed on a five-year contract that runs through 2016 with club options for each of the following three seasons. The contract guarantees Perez $7 million but could be worth a total of $26 million for the full eight years if all the options are exercised and all the escalators and performance clauses are achieved.

Perez will receive a guaranteed $750,000 for 2012, $1 million for 2013, $1.5 million for $2014, $1.75 million for 2015, and $2 million for 2016. The option year salaries are $3.75 million in $2017, $5 million in 2018, and $6 million in 2018. The escalators are based on various awards earned during the first five years; and performance bonuses based on games started at catcher in the three option years.

March 1, 2016: Salvador and the Royals agreed on a five-year contract extension, through 2021, and guaranteeing him $52 million over five seasons.

Nov 4, 2025: The Royals signed catcher Salvador Perez to a two-year contract that runs through the 2027 season, the club announced. The new deal takes the place of the 2026 club option that was on Perez’s previous four-year contract he signed in 2021.

The two-year deal is worth $25 million guaranteed. There’s a $7 million signing bonus and some deferred money that won’t hit the books for a few years, but it essentially works out to an average annual value of $12.5 million.

Perez’s 2026 club option was worth $13.5 million with a $2 million buyout, so he’ll make a little less money but gets an extra year guaranteed. 

Perez is a solid hitter with solid bat speed. He has a nice righthanded swing to make consistent contact with. He has a fundamentally sound swing. He has great hands, a short stroke and impressive pitch recognition. He is a good two-strike hitter. He makes contact and puts the ball in play.

Salvador has long arms, so his swing is always going to be a little long.

Perez concentrates on making contact and likes to use the middle of the field. That approach figures to produce high averages and good strikeout-walk ratios, but not a whole lot of power.

He took a step forward at the plate when he started making adjustments and stopped swinging at as many bad pitches and pulling off balls. He's still a free swinger, yet he doesn't pile up big strikeout numbers. He doesn't offer a lot of power but can drive balls to the alleys.  (Will Lingo-Baseball America-10/06/11)

Salvador's manager with the Royals Ned Yost, rates him among the best catchers in the game, even with the bat.

"He could take a few more walks. What happens with good hitters is they have to learn to take their walks," Yost said. "When you're swinging at pitchers' pitches in situations, you're not helping yourself, you're not helping your team. But if you're staying in your approach and hitting your pitches, you're going to be far more successful, you're going to be on base more. And any time you get on base more, there's an opportunity to score a run. You can't score a run when you swing at a ball and make an out."

"It's just plate discipline, he'll grow into it," Yost said. "You can't just sit a guy down and say, 'I want you to take more walks.' They have to learn how to do it. And they do it through experience and do it through time." (4/2/14)

September 29, 2021:  Salvador hit his 48th home run of the season, tying the Royals’ single-season home run record. Jorge Soler hit 48 in 2019.

July 21, 2025: Perez has 301 hits in his career against National League opponents and is the sixth player in American League history to reach that milestone in interleague play. The others are all baseball legends: Derek Jeter (364), Jose Altuve (337), Miguel Cabrera (333), Alex Rodriguez (325) and Ichiro Suzuki (322). (Pete Grathoff - The Kansas City Star)

Sept. 13, 2025: Perez became only the eighth primary catcher in Major League Baseball history (minimum 75% of games caught) to reach 300 home runs. The World Series MVP joined a list of legends that includes Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter, Iván Rodríguez, and Lance Parrish. Of those, only Parrish is not enshrined in Cooperstown. (Abdullah Imran - ClutchPoints)

"This shouldn't even be a discussion," he wrote. "The idea of Salvador Perez playing elsewhere should make Royals diehards want to toss their brisket nachos." 

"Perez hasn't been as good in 2025 as he was in 2024, but at least one more year for the Venezuelan in Kansas City doesn't feel that egregious. That only applies doubly after how Perez bounced back from a career-worst year in 2023 to having a renaissance of sorts in 2024. Let's see if he can do it again in 2026, on a reasonable salary."

Perez has hit .241/.286/.454 this season with a .740 OPS. However, he still has hit 30 home runs and knocked in 100 runs.

Picking up the club option would be wise because of what Perez has meant to the Royals organization and Kansas City. He's a franchise legend who has played his entire career with the Royals. He came up through their system in 2011 and has been a cornerstone ever since his Major League Debut.

Perez helped guide the Royals to back-to-back World Series in 2014 and 2015, with the Royals winning their first title since 1985 the second go-around.  (Curt Bishop | Sep 26, 2025 - SI)

Salvador doesn't have the typical catcher's build, but he is very solid defensively. He sets up well behind the plate, providing a very good target for his pitcher. He has soft hands and does a good job of blocking balls in the dirt.

He is a good catch-and-throw guy, receiving the ball well and handling a pitching staff solidly.

Perez has a very good arm—rated a 65 on the scale. And it plays up because he has a very quick exchange, a quick release, and his throws are very accurate. His pop times (glove-to-glove) are consistently in the 1.8 to 1.9 second range, extremely good.

Salvador has a knack for getting he and his pitcher through an opponent's lineup. He does all the video study and listens to coaches, other catchers and his pitchers. But he is very perceptive at game-calling.

In 2016, Salvador led all MLB catchers with a 48% caught stealing.

Perez's strong arm is made even more effective by his quick release to second base. The average Major League time for a catcher's throw to second base, glove to glove, is 2.0 seconds, according to Royals manager Ned Yost. Perez is regularly clocked at well under that, sometimes as fast as 1.84. That fraction of a second often makes a difference.

Perez does a very good job of calling a game. He is a leader and works well with his pitching staff. He has earned respect from the pitchers for his ability to analyze opposing hitters, manage a game, cover the position and throw.

He puts his work in, preparing for a lineup, knowing what pitches to attack certain hitters with, but he also has a great feel for the game, because the situation changes and he adapts.

On September 6, 2012, Perez picked his fourth runner off base for the season. Those four pickoffs are the most ever in a single season by a Royals catcher. Perez broke previous record of three, by John Buck (2005) and Darrell Porter (1977).

September 28, 2014: Perez, played his 146th game behind the plate. That broke the team record of 145 by Darrell Porter (1978). Perez also became the first Major Leaguer to catch 146 games since 2008, when the Brewers' Jason Kendall and the Dodgers' Russell Martin each caught 149.

A commanding presence at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Perez is the extreme opposite of the old idea of a short, squat, pepper-pot catcher—Yogi Berra he ain't. Yet his big size belies his quick-responding hands, arms, legs and feet that fill a catcher's every need. His mind is quick, as well.

"He's very intelligent," pitcher Ervin Santana said. "It's the type of talent that's difficult to get, and he's got it. So he's taking advantage of that." 

"One, people take for granted his blocking abilities. I don't think anyone here is afraid to throw anything in the dirt on any count with a runner on third base," Bruce Chen said. "And we have some of the nastiest guys with the nastiest stuff, like Greg Holland, James Shields with that changeup, Ervin Santana's slider. These guys won't even think about it twice, about throwing it in the dirt."

Because Perez is so good at stopping errant pitches.

"The thing is, when we have him behind the plate, we're not going to think about—is he going to block it or not?" Santana said. "We just have so much confidence that he'll block it; he does everything it takes to keep the ball in front of him so the runner doesn't advance.

"He's big, but he just gives a good target. I like it because he just puts the glove down and you just feel comfortable to pitch to him. And he's a big guy, but he moves quick for being that big."

"In my opinion, he's the best catcher in the American League," said manager Ned Yost in 2013. "He blocks balls as well as anybody, he calls a great game, he's a great receiver, and he controls the running like very few catchers in baseball. He's a top-notch defender. He's the best I've ever seen and he's a joy to be around."

PERENNIAL GOLD GLOVER 

In 2013, Perez won his first Rawlings Gold Glove. Salvador led AL catchers with 71 assists and stymied 23 base-stealing attempts for 35 percent. Pitchers had a 3.36 ERA when he was behind the plate, and he added the ninth career pickoff of his career.

In 2014, Perez won his second Gold Glove for the AL. And Salvador won his third straight Rawlings Gold Glove for 2015.

In 2016, Perez won his fourth Gold Glove award.

In 2018, Perez won the AL Gold Glove Award for the catcher position for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

He tied a career high by throwing out 48 percent of would-be base-stealers. Perez's average pop time, per Statcast, on attempted steals of third base was 1.53 seconds, third in the AL behind the Yankees' Gary Sanchez (1.48) and the Indians' Roberto Perez (1.49).

Royals GM Dayton Moore says Perez spends much more time on the field than most any player you will see. Practice, repetition . . . Salvy doesn't tire of it, it seems.

"He absolutely loves to play,” Moore said. “But he also is a person who takes responsibility very seriously. He wants to lead. He wants to be there with the pitchers. His energy never wavers. I’ve never been around anyone quite like him."

Manager Ned Yost is impressed with how he cares more about his pitchers than his offense or anything else.

"Unselfishness is really important for a catcher running a pitching staff,” Yost said. “Salvy is unselfish to the point that in time he will learn he’s so good back there he can concentrate more on his hitting.”

One day in August 2016, as Royals manager Ned Yost was sitting in his office gabbing with a couple of reporters, he was asked point blank if Perez was the best defensive catcher in baseball.

Yost didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," Yost said. "But well, wait, I'll say best in the league. That other guy [Yadier] Molina is pretty darn good, too." 

But every season since Perez emerged on the scene in 2011, the Royals have seen improvement in his defensive skills, whether it's throwing out runners, picking off runners, blocking wild pitches, you name it. That's the reason that Perez is a four-time All-Star. This season especially has been phenomenal for Perez. His caught-stealing percentage is an off-the-charts 53 percent, best in baseball and a career high.

And most impressively, Perez has improved his pop time—the time it takes after a pitch reaches his mitt to the time it takes to reach a middle infielder's glove—to a consistent 1.73-1.74 seconds. The league average for pop time is anywhere from 1.85-2.00. Lower than 1.85 are considered very good.

"Nobody does that consistently," Yost said. "It's crazy." (J Flanagan - MLB.com - Aug 13, 2016)

The assignment is Best Throwing Arm for a non-pitcher, which is not an easy call with regard to the Royals.  Outfielder Alex Gordon is tied with Gerardo Parra for the most outfield assists [98] since 2010. You don’t post a number like that with just average arm strength or lack of accuracy. Gordon has been clocked at 92.8 mph on throws from the outfield leaving his hand. But during his pitching debut last summer in a blowout loss, Gordon’s heater was clocked in the low 80s.

“I thought I was hitting 88,” he said, “so when I looked up and saw it was 81, it was kind of depressing.”

Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi has all the tools, including a rocket arm. “You don’t see it on every throw,” former Royals third base coach Mike Jirschele once said, “because he doesn’t need it on every throw. But when he is deep in the hole, you see that velocity.”

But the pick here is All-Star catcher Salvador, who showed off his arm in his MLB debut in 2011 in St. Petersburg when he nearly scored a catcher’s hat trick. He picked off a runner at third base, picked off another runner at first base and nearly picked another runner at second base.

Perez’s velocity on throws to second has ranged in average from 82-85 mph since the start of Statcast in 2015. His pop time has mostly ranked among league leaders at around 1.95 seconds.

Of course, it will be interesting to see how Perez’s arm reacts once baseball resumes, as he is coming off March 2019 Tommy John surgery. Manager Mike Matheny and catching coach Pedro Grifol said during Spring Training that Perez’s velocity was excellent. Teammates also said this spring that Perez’s velocity looked as prominent as it did before his surgery.  (Flanagan - mlb.com - 5/29/2020)

As Perez rose out of a slide on his first stolen base of the 2017 season, he turned toward the Royals' dugout, smiled wide, and waved his arms. The Royals went berserk. So did the fans in Kauffman Stadium watching the Royals' 16-4 victory over the Tigers.

"That was definitely a sight to see," center fielder Lorenzo Cain said. "To see him go there, everybody was shocked."

The stolen base was just the third of Perez's career, and it came one day after his first triple of the season.  (Alexander - mlb.com - 7/20/17)

2008: Salvador missed almost half of the season with a twisted ankle.

March 14-June 22, 2012: Perez was diagnosed with a lateral meniscus tear and required surgery. He was injured while warming up pitcher Jonathan Sanchez prior to an exhibition game that day.

"I was catching Sanchez in the bullpen, and I felt something funny in my knee, but I didn't expect that it was something very dangerous," he said. "But right now they told me that it was way more than I thought it was. It was a pitch inside, so I was trying to move in, and that's when my knee tweaked. My spike got stuck and my knee moved out of place."

The meniscus cushions the knee between the femur and the tibia, and Perez's tear is on the outside. That type of surgery typically requires several weeks' recovery.

August 4-11, 2013: Salvador was on the D.L. with a mild concussion.

March 11, 2017: Venezuela felt the thrill of victory for the first time in Pool D play, but this win hurt, too. Catcher Salvador Perez made a game-saving putout at the plate in the ninth inning against Italy, sending the World Baseball Classic contest into extra innings. Venezuela went on to win, 11-10, but both Perez and reliever Francisco Rodriguez were injured on the play.

According to a Major League Baseball official on site, Perez sustained a left knee injury and has been referred for further diagnostic testing. According to a tweet by Team Venezuela, an MRI revealed no structural damage. But the inflammation forced him to miss the rest of the tournament. (J Sanchez - MLB.com - March 11, 2017)

Aug 3-22, 2017: Perez was on the DL with a right intercostal strain.

March 28-April 24, 2018:  Salvador will be out after suffering a Grade 2 tear of the MCL in his left knee.

March 1, 2019: Perez's has damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. It was injured during a workout at Spring Training. 

March 6, 2019-July 14, 2020: Perez was on the IL after season-ending Tommy John surgery. 

May 13, 2020: Perez said that he is fully ready to go whenever baseball resumes. The extra healing time needed has already occurred due to the pandemic shutdown.

“The more time I can wait to get back behind home plate, the better I will be,” Perez said. “I don’t know what’s happening right now in baseball. But at the same time, I thank God to have the time to get better.”

A typical day now for Perez, who lives in Miami, is that he starts working with Royals special assignment hitting coach Mike Tosar around 8:00 a.m., then works on catching with bench coach and catching instructor Pedro Grifol. Then, around 2:00 p.m. he returns home to work out with weights.

“I get a lot of help from Mike on hitting,” Perez said. “The more we practice, the better I get. He has pretty good ideas.”

Aug 21-Sept 11, 2020: Perez was on the IL with left eye central serous chorioretinopathy. 

THUMB SURGERY

May 17-28, 2022:  Perez was on the IL with left thumb sprain. The injury in his first at-bat against White Sox starter Dylan Cease. Perez felt a pull when he swung through a slider down and away. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning after going 1-for-3 with two strikeouts and a single in the fifth.

June 21, 2022: Perez exited in the third inning of the Royals' win over the Angels after aggravating a preexisting thumb issue on a swing. He was previously sidelined for 10 days with a left thumb sprain in May. 

June 22-July 29, 2022: Perez was on the IL.

June 24, 2022: Perez had surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament. 

Aug 29, 2022: The reason Perez was able to return so quickly was because of the type of UCL repair Shin has been pioneering in recent years. The procedure includes reinforcing the UCL repair with synthetic tape. It cuts in half the time it takes to rehab.

Referred to as a UCL repair with internal brace augmentation, this procedure includes the surgeon repairing the UCL as they normally would but then reinforcing that repair with the placement of the tape over the ligament. SutureTape, made by Arthrex, is just over a millimeter in width, yet is incredibly strong. The tape is anchored over the thumb ligament, essentially forming a bridge.

“Once you’re done with the regular sutures that are also secured in the hole in the bone, then you take the two suture tape tails and you bring them back over the ligament, to the metacarpal side,” Shin said. “So you anchor those tails into the bone with another anchor. If you picture it, it’s a ligament with two suture tape tails over it, acting as a seatbelt. It backs up your repair.” (A Rogers - MLB.com - Aug 29, 2022) 

Sept 16, 2023: After getting hit in the facemask by a foul ball, Perez was checked on by a Royals trainer three times, eventually exiting the game to be evaluated for a concussion.

Sept 17-24, 2023: Perez was on the IL with a concussion.